Daily Republican., 1887-02-28

Il In IN inkrestins article In Scribner'
} msgAzino for March Professor n. q
, ehsier says: "The notion that III
} ground 10 naturally stesdfast il =,
Ietror-an error which arises from th
lncapscaty OF our senses to appreciate
! any nut the most paipable and st th,
movements. The idea OF terra Arm,
I belongs wish the ancient belief that III,
eArth WAS the centre Of the uniysree 1,
10 indeed by their mobility that tn,
/ CON timer To survive the uucsasir q a.
sauits OF the ocean waves and the con
inuous down wearing which the river,
and glaciers bring about
] were II not that the continents gro
upward, from age 20 age, ct o ratt
which compromises for their erosion
there would be no lands fit for Q theatre
LOT life; II they had grown too slowly,
their natural eneuaiee, the waves ano
rain, would have KEEP. them b
the ocean level; II too fast, they vould
Hft new surfaces into the regions OF
eternsl cold. As 1t 10, tncessapt q, ovsh
mas been 30 we'll measured to the needs.
that for . hundred million years, more
Ior less, the lands have afforded the stage
ior prosperous life. This upward
growth. when measured in terms of
human experiences, 10 slow: II probAb'y
does not exceed, on tho average, one
loot 10 thros or four thousand yesYs
The rate varies In times and places.
Under varying conditions, as when
glacial sheet 10 Imposed on the CONT
nent-A 1t was In the imm. d late past
on the northern part Of North America
"A vide area OF the loo laden land sank
oeneath ths Sea, TO recover It's level
wnen the depressing burden WAS remov-
Ga. SUI, the tendency Of the CONT
nents In TO elevation, and even the TEN :
p orary sinking Of one portion of their
area is probably In all cases compe psa.
TED BY upaifts n another part by which
new realms are won from the sea.
First among these oscillations of the
earth We may notice the slow IN or
down movements which are prob.
soly OF the SANG general nature,
nnd OF tho same origin as the
movements which build the CONT.
nents. only much more rapid; 80 rapid j,
mo o. q, that they may be obser we'd from
aecaoe TO deca 10, or at least from cen &,
tnry 70 century. In this class we in.
ciude the down sinking of the coast of
New Jersey, the uprising Of the north.
ern coast OF Scandinavia, or the osci In.
ZION OF The shore on the coast of the Bay
OIL Naples. Toese movements which.
though In geological sense rapid rarely
coanRe the level OF the lard more than
loot or two In o century, appear to be
divided Into three distinct classes. A
follows: First. those which are due to
the impositiOn CT q heavy weight upon
the earth's surface, or to the removal of
sucn q weight. A good csss OF this In
tue deep deprestion Of the northern part
OF North America, where the glacial
sheet came upon 1t, and it's rapid re-
eievation WHEN the ice melted away
Next, those which are ne 10 the forma
ton OF great fault or break through
the rocks as they are showed about BY
the compre.sive forces which build
mountain chains. And, finally, those
which are due TO the movements Of vol.
canic gases and the lava which they
proper Toward the crater, whence, In
time. they are to be discharged.
1T IL satisfactory TO find that within
the area OF the United States two cen.
turtles OF historic record and mnoh patu-
rsl evidence GO to show that great earth
qdnkes are exceptional, but this should
not blind us to the fact tn At LARGE areas
are already known to have suffered
from movements which may bring
widespread destruction, where the
builder takes no account Of any other
disturber OF liability save gravitatiou.
1t Ia not likely that we as yet know by
experience the full extent of country
which Is subject to this order of shocks;
our historic prospective Is very short,
And the natural evidence does not give
any assurance concerning distur ban
20 OF this lesser order. Ii To clear that
we car not in this coun try reckon on an
earth as stable as that OF the northern
region OF Europe, where our race was
bred and oar building system devel-
oped. Il Is equally clear that the mode
OF construction should bs adapted to
The new needs which the less Arm
ground OF this country imposes upon